The present invention relates to an electrical connector whereby the entire connector is formed of plastic and a portion thereof is plated with an electrically conductive material. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device of this type which uses a special kind of plateable plastic.
An objective of any electrical connector is to provide an electrical path between a first object or component and another objector component. Another desirable objective of such an electrical connector is to maintain the first electrical path insulated from other adjacent electrical connection sources. A final objective of an electrical connector is to mechanically maintain an object or component of connection in a desired place.
In order to attain these objectives, typical electrical connectors have electrically conducting portions and electrically insulating portions. The conducting portion makes electrical contact with the electrical conducting portions of the components between which connection is desired. The insulating portion then insulates this conducting portion from other electrical conduction portions and from other wires etc.
Various ways have been used in the art to make such connectors. One most typical way is to provide two pieces, one of metal and one of plastic. However, there are many disadvantages with this conventional type of connector. The main disadvantage is that such a connector is made of a plurality of different pieces. These pieces have relatively less mechanical strength, and are also relatively more difficult to manufacture. Such connectors are typically made by producing a plurality of different parts, plating, and then assembling the different parts into a unit.
One way in which this has been done in the prior art is by the process known as screw machining. A machine known as a precision screw machine cuts a conductive shell for a contact out of a soft material such as brass. This shell defines a cylindrically shaped hole adapted to receive a clip to make electrical connection with a contact to be inserted. A multiple finger clip is then pressure-fit into the screw machined shell to form the completed contact. However, this technique has the drawback that separate fabrication and assembling steps are necessary. Such additional steps can make up between 40 and 95% of the cost of the final component.
One solution to this problem is suggested by U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,221 to F.B. Stark. This patent suggests the use of an insulating plastic member, and suggests plating a portion of the plastic member. This produces the advantage that a single piece integral connector is formed. However, the process contemplated by Stark involves selective plating of only a portion of a single plastic material, and would be relatively complicated. It is therefore desirable that a more automated system of producing an integral connector be provided.